Using the Collision Map Editor (CME)

FILE MENU

New Project Erase the current project. Open Project Open an ISOinteractive project you have saved before. The ISOinteractive CME project extension is .iip stands for “Iso Interactive Project”. Save Project Save the current project to a file. If it is an opened or previous saved project this command will overwrite the file without prompt you. Otherwise it will display a “Save As” dialog box to save the project. Save Project As Save the current project to a new file. This command always displays a “Save As” dialog box.

Import Background
Imports a background image. File types supported are all file types supported by Director. If you already have an opened project importing a new background will replace the current background you are working on, but it will not be saved to HD unless you use “Save Project” or “Save Project As” commands.

Export Map as .CST
Export the current map as Director castlib file. The castlib will have two members, one is the background image and the other is a field member where is stored the information about the collisions. You can attach this library to a movie and use the ISOinteractive behaviours to create your room.

Export Map as .TXT
Export only the collisions map as plain txt file.
In case you don’t want to export the map as .cst you can export only the collisions and then paste this information into a field member in your movie. You will also need to import your background image to work with it.

Export Grid Image
This will save a .PNG file with a composite image of your background and grid. This is useful to use as reference on a painting program. This file is not necessary to work with the engine.

Exit
Exits the Editor.

TILE MENU

Display the different available tiles and applies a tile to the current grid.

TOOLS MENU

Hand Use it to pan the image. You can also pan the image by pressing the spacebar. If you have selected the Pencil tool and press the spacebar then the Hand tool is temporary selected until you release the spacebar.

Pencil
Use to block an unblock tiles. If you click on an empty tile (non blocked) then the pencil will fill all the tiles under the mouse until you release the click. If you click on a filled (blocked) tile then it will clear all the tiles under the mouse until you release it.

SETTINGS

Grid Color Change the color of the isometric grid. Grid Opacity Change the opacity of the isometric grid. Collisions Color Change the color of the blocked tiles. Collisions Opacity Change the opacity of the blocked tiles.

Selector Color
Change the color of the isometric selector.

Show Selector
Display or not the isometric selector.

Stage Background Color
Change the background color of the stage.

PATHFINDER MENU

Goes to Pathfinder Mode.

Debug
Display all the tiles (nodes) used in the path finding.

Animated
Animate the path.

Auto-Trace
Trace a new path automatically when you move the “start” or “end” blocks.

Trace Path (button)
Trace a new path from “start” to “end” block.

Seek Time ms
Display the time taken to find the path in milliseconds. If Debug is turned on the time could be higher due the pathfinder is also storing the information for all visited tiles (nodes).

Avatar Mode
Goes to avatar mode.

Movie Tempo
Set up the FPS of the movie.

Animation Delay
When you trace a path you get a long list of points that conforms the path. Those points represents the positions for the avatar, so the avatar will move from one point to the next one on each frame.

The Animation Delay is the amount of points the avatar should move before it changes to the next animation frame. For example if you set up the Animation Delay to 3 then the avatar will move 3 times (3 points on the list) without changing the body animation and then it will change to a new animation frame, and so on.

Path Interpolation
Is the amount of subdivisions you want for the path. Internally the engine first generates a path from Tile to Tile and then subdivides it according to the Interpolation amount. If the Interpolation is 0 then the path returned is from one tile to another tile. If Interpolation is 1 then the engine adds one point between the tiles, if Interpolation is 2 then it adds 2 points between Tiles and so on. Note that if the Interpolation is higher than the Tile size then it will adds repeated points, as there is no more space in pixels to subdivide the path.

Update Info
Display information about the avatar.

#Loc: the position of the avatar
#Dir: the direction the avatar is facing (1 to 8)
#Frame: the current frame of the animation
#Status: the status of the avatar (#resting, #moving, #holding)

#Resting: when the avatar has reached the last point on the path list. So it reaches the destination

#Moving: while it has not reach the destination

#Holding: The avatar comes to this state only when it is #moving and you give it a new destination. So it holds until it is on the middle of the near tile and then it trace the new path.

This is to prevent the avatar “jumps”. As the first point returned by the pathfinder is always on the middle of a tile, if the avatar is not right on the middle then it will “jump” from it current position to the first returned by the pathfinder. This only happens when the avatar is moving, as when it is #resting it is always on the middle of a tile.

So if the Avatar is #moving and you click in a new location then it evaluates if it is or not right on the middle of a tile. If it is then it trace the new path, if it is not then it waits until reach the next middle point, and then it trace the path.

Blocks Mode
Go to Blocks Mode.